Friends Are All We Are
by cocoagua
Summary: What if your newly found friend is actually your prince in disguise. First Chapter set at the Pink Party.           Title Changed as per review and suggestion of M. Alicia Garcia, thanks!      Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GOSSIP GIRL.
1. Chapter 1  Truths and Cover Ups

"Dan! You're as slow as that tin can you call a car. His butler is just around the corner. We have to get moving!"

"I still don't think this is a good idea, Waldorf." Dan said as he followed Blair into a room while scratching the back of his head. He only agreed to be a cover so he could still spend time with Blair. But the more he thinks about it, the more uncomfortable it is to pretend to like her… while pretending not to like her.

"Don't act as if I like this. You really think I want to kiss you again so just I could be with _my_ prince? God, please Humphrey! I could have asked Chuck but that would have been too complicated."

"Right. Maybe you should have." Blair saw the hurt in his eyes before he could look away. It was unmistakable… and it made her feel guilty about the whole scheme. It also made her think about their first kiss. They both agreed it meant nothing. But somehow it felt that it changed everything between them.

"Dan…I… We don't have to…" Blair reached for his arm. She wanted to hug him and tell him they didn't have to go through with it. But she's not a hugger and she couldn't find the words. She could only stare at his arm while rubbing it gently.

Dan sighed. "I don't know, Blair. I just don't get why the prince would come all the way here to see you but can't even risk being seen with you in public. It doesn't add up. And yes, you could have asked Chuck to help you out. I'm sure he'd be up to it. But yeah… we're here now so I say we should just get on with it. " He tucked loose hair behind Blair's ear and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. Blair can't help but close her eyes at his touch. It feels so new yet so… comfortable. And she hasn't felt that way in a long time. She tried to think of all the times she felt safe and comfortable with anyone. As much as she wanted those times to be with Chuck, or a prince, they all point to Dan.

As if on cue, Dan pulled her close and kissed her. It was slow at first, Blair couldn't describe it but it felt overwhelming and she responded almost immediately. As the kiss grew deeper, his hands moved to her hair and waist and her hand played with his hair. Dan was the first to pull away and Blair let out a sigh.

"The butler was just outside… sorry I didn't warn you." Dan said as he leaned her forehead on hers. She nodded softly before looking into his eyes.

"Thanks, Humphrey" She whispered.

"Yeah… I have served my purpose. Go meet your prince." He nodded towards the prince and smiled sadly before walking away. She watched him leave as the prince entered the room. She greeted her prince with a fake smile, not like he could tell. She was happy to finally be able to be alone with the prince, yet somehow she felt like she lost something bigger than she earned.

===TO BE CONTINUED===


	2. Chapter 2 Friends or Not at All

**- So thanks for the push to continue guys. Needed it This turned out longer than I expected. Hope you guys like it -**

"Hey, Charlie!" Dan was walking down the stairs when he spotted Serena's cousin. Everyone at the pink party was looking at him with suspicious eyes. Charlie met him at the foot of the stairs with a worried look.

"What's going on?" Dan asked as he started to feel uncomfortable with all the stares. Charlie handed him her phone to show him the video of him and Blair kissing. He was shocked to see how real it looked. It looked as real as it felt and it made him swallow uncomfortably. "Where's Serena?" He asked.

"She took off. Look… I'm sorry. This is my fault." Charlie said nervously, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"What do you mean this is your fault?" Blair glared at Charlie as she walked down the stairs with the prince behind her. She was holding her phone, obviously aware of the Gossip Girl blast.

"Serena and I… we saw some gossip girl posts of you guys hanging out together. She asked me to follow you guys around and dig something up. You know, find out if there's anything going on with you two. So I did… I was the one, who took the video, I'm sorry. I sent it to Gossip Girl. Then she saw it and just took off… apparently she believed that whatever you," pointing from Dan to Blair, "guys had, or have, should have something to do with her… I'm really sorry; I didn't think she'd take it in a bad way."

"We have to find her… explain that it meant nothing… _less than_ _nothing_." Dan looked at Blair. Blair looked back at him and nodded, trying to fight the tears that started to well up after his emphasis. She's very much aware that she was the one who said it first – to be able to get back with Chuck, no less. Granted, she didn't go through with it because of Chuck's excellent show of immaturity. Yet, hearing Dan say it, that the kiss meant nothing, hurt her for some reason.

Dan started to walk towards the door, followed by Charlie. People who overheard their conversation started to give them confused looks. Others whispered amongst themselves, trying to come up with viable stories as to why the boy from Brooklyn and the queen of the Upper East Side shared a kiss.

Blair looked at Louis and asked, "Do you want to come? Maybe you could help us explain to Serena that Dan was just covering up for you?" She looked at her prince hopefully.

"Actually… I think that's something you have to handle on your own, Blair."

"Oh, right. I'll call you."

"Je vous attends." She smiled at him before following Dan and Charlie outside.

They found her sitting outside the door of the loft, with smudged makeup caused by crying. Dan was the first to approach her. He reached out his hand to help her stand up. He led them into the loft and sat at the kitchen counter, not knowing what to say.

"Guys, I think I should just go let you all talk… I've done enough damage." Charlie started back towards the door, not waiting for any of them to answer.

"So…" Dan and Blair said simultaneously.

"You lied to me!" Serena yelled at them, losing her composure. "Blair! You're my best friend! What the hell were you thinking sneaking around with Dan? What, you wanted to make Chuck jealous? Or maybe Louis? Or maybe, maybe, you just wanted to know how it felt to be like me? So you took Dan and used him. AND YOU!" She faced Dan, pointing her finger at him, "You said we'll give it another try! Sink or swim, remember? What happened to that? What happened to our last chance? And since when have you guys been friends anyway? Last I checked, you didn't like each other." She took a deep breath as she started to calm down.

"Serena," Dan said as he rubbed his forehead. "You went out with Ben, remember? Right after our talk, you dated him. What was I supposed to do? Wait for you while you're clearly over me, and head over heels with your old professor? I told you I thought I shouldn't be waiting around for you anymore."

"Dan…" Serena tried to hug him but he flinched away. Blair watched sadly as Dan poured his heart out.

"Admit it or not," he continued, "you're pretty much occupied when I'm there. And you look for me when I'm not. I'm your backup plan, Serena. I'm not your goal. You only want me when you can't have the other things you run after. I'm tired of that. Blair's been there for me… as a friend. And we do have a lot of things in common." He smiled a little when he said it, but it was hard to miss.

"The kiss that you saw," Blair interjected, "meant nothing to me... or to Dan, for that matter. He was just being a good friend. You know the prince is back, right? Unfortunately, no one but me can know he's here or that he's a prince who came to New York, for me. His butler was watching me because Louis' mother is suspicious." She sighed, "Dan kissed me to throw the butler off. It was a scheme. We're friends, Serena. I'm sorry to break it to you but Dan and I have a real connection."

"Since we're being honest here," Dan said with a deep breath. "This isn't the first time we kissed – we kissed the night of Chuck's party to prove that there's nothing between us."

"What? That sounds stupid." Serena blurted out.

"And it is!" Blair answered while glaring at Dan. "It's the biggest mistake of my life."

"That's a bit of an overstatement." He throws Blair a quick glance before looking back at Serena.

"Serena, the thing is Blair and I may have started out by working together to save you. But you have to know, we're friends now because we realized we can be. It has nothing to do with you anymore. I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner but you have to stop acting as if this is a ploy against you."

Serena shook her head, "Well fine. It's a good thing you're finally friends. But I saw the kiss – and even if it was a scheme, it looked too real. Friends just don't kiss like that…" She headed to the door without another word. Neither Dan nor Blair tried to stop her.

"I'm surprised you told Serena off." Blair said more to herself while she sunk herself into Dan's couch. Dan looked at her curiously while grinning sheepishly.

"You do realize you haven't dusted off the couch yet, don't you?"

Blair chuckled, "I believe I'm already immune to whatever germs are floating around this loft, Humphrey." She moved slightly as Dan sat next to her.

"When we were looking for Juliet," he said, "you said things that really got me thinking. You know, about how I always give up my time, and dignity, just to be there for her... I just realized how tired I was of that."

"Uhm…" Dan decided it was time he just came clean with his feelings. He wanted to let her know how he really felt, even if it wouldn't change anything. That he realized Serena isn't her princess anymore. He looked into her eyes, not knowing how to start. For a writer, he was having a terrible time trying to articulate his feelings.

"If you don't stop staring at me, you just might burn holes in my head." Blair said softly. She was looking back at him, as if she was trying to read his thoughts. They continued to look at each other, waiting for the other to talk.

"I felt something when we kissed."  
>"I promised Louis I'd call." They said simultaneously. Dan's face registered the same look of hurt he wore earlier that night. He wasn't trying to hide it anymore. Blair looked unsure and scared at the same time.<p>

"What am I to you, Blair?"

"You're my friend…" She didn't want to have this talk. She wanted to go back to how they were before they kissed. No complications, just two people hanging out. Somehow she knew there was something more. But she couldn't admit it. Wouldn't admit it. He's Dan Humphrey, ex/step-brother of her best friend. Serena was always Dan Humphrey's first choice. Aside from some internal issues, Serena was the primary reason she couldn't allow herself to admit her feelings for Dan. But from what transpired in their conversation with Serena, it's obvious he already chose. He chose her, Blair Waldorf.

"Are you happy with the prince?" he asked. She nodded. _Not as happy as I am with you_, she thought. Dan smiled, "That's all that matters, Waldorf." She looked at him, a silent question in her eyes: _Why?_

"I'd rather have you as a friend than not have you at all." Dan said and kissed her forehead. She hugged him. "Do me one favor though." He whispered. Blair lifted her head, "Hmm?"

"Make sure Louis takes you out in public next time." He pulled away from their embrace and smiled before walking towards his bedroom.

_A/N: Sorry if Blair hasn't admitted her feelings yet. Chuck's an unfinished business she still needs to take care of I'll get to that in the following chapters._


	3. Chapter 3  Used to Be's and Ever Afters

For weeks, news about Prince Louis and Blair has been invading the papers and television. It was all surreal, Blair thought. It has been her lifelong dream to live a happy fairytale such as this. She could not believe that a real-life prince came to New York for her; to woo her and sweep her off her feet. She was happy… but she couldn't help the gnawing feeling in her guts telling her that she's not doing what could really make her happy. Being with the prince was a real treat but sometimes she still thinks about her past with Chuck and her friendship / not-so-friendship with Dan.

She was scrolling through the Gossip Girl posts about spottings of her and Louis when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in!" she said while still occupying herself with their pictures. This is a better way to forget about the other guys in her life. The door opened and in came…

"Chuck? Why are you here?" she stared as Chuck entered her room, looking very much devastated over something. This man was the very reason she pushed herself towards being a powerful woman. But before that, this is the person who was the reason she almost gave up her dignity. Yet, she can't stop thinking if what they used to believe in was true.

"A prince, Blair? Really? It's all over the news! You really think this would work? We've been through this before! Remember Marcus? He was a sham and I'm sure your beloved prince is too." He's obviously been drinking.

"What do you want Chuck?"

"Do you really have to ask? I want you back. We belong together and you know that. You don't belong with that boring prince. You don't have to do this…" He took Blair's hand in his. Blair took a deep breath and pulled away before sitting down at the edge of her bed.

"Do what? I'm with Louis now and you don't have a say in my love life and you don't have a right to tell me who I belong with."

"You're just fighting the inevitable. You're still scared. You… you don't want to take a chance with me. But you can't fight it Blair. We're meant to be…" He sat next to Blair, putting a little space between them. Not wanting to ruin his chance with her. He fiddled with the box in his pocket. It's now or never, he thought. He might not be a prince, but he's Chuck Bass.

"I felt that way about us before. I've always thought that we were meant to be." She smiled, thinking about the good times she had with Chuck. "But things change, Chuck. I don't feel that way anymore. We've been through so much pain and we've never really resolved anything. Because we had this mentality that every mistake and every fault could be forgiven just because we thought we're meant to be. And honestly, you haven't showed me much to prove that you've changed. I already told you… you have years before you're ever capable of a real relationship."

"I love you, Blair." Chuck said, shrugging of every word that came out of her mouth. He stood up and looked into her eyes, "I've always loved you. I admit I may have hurt you a lot of times, but one thing hasn't changed. I still love you." He sighed and went down on one knee, holding out the box from his pocket. Blair looked at him in shock. "I apologize for everything. For Jack… for Eva… for Raina. I couldn't take those back. But give me the chance to make things better. I've never been sure about anything before Blair. Just give me this chance to prove it to you. Marry me."

Blair didn't know what to say. A year ago, she would have been sure of her answer. She would have said yes if he asked. Looking at him, she saw a hint of desperation. She saw someone trying to hold on to a past that's long been shattered. She took him by his elbows and pulled him back up.

"I struggled so hard to get you back before," she started, playing with her fingers, "but every time, something goes wrong. A part of me thinks that yes, we really are meant to be. But right now I just think that what we are, is a tragedy. No matter how hard we try, we'll only end up hurting each other. I know a part of me will always love you. But I can't trust you anymore… and I can't trust myself with you. I'm sorry, Chuck."

"Blair… please." Chuck begged as he held on tight to her. Again she pulled away, "I think you should go, Chuck." She stood up and watched him. First he refused to leave. But after a while, he just stood up and left her without another word.

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_Grimaldis with a Grimaldi?_ Dan read Blair's text with half a smile, half a frown. Blair's been tagging him along in some of her dates with the prince. He's just thankful that the media doesn't care much about the third wheeler friend of Blair Waldorf.

_I think I'll take a rain check on this one._ He replied immediately after. He wanted to distance himself from her dates and save himself the misery. Surprisingly, more than Gossip Girl, he's been the one that's most updated with the life of Blair Waldorf. As much as it pains him to know the details of her love life, he's the only one she's got after the debacle with Serena, and recently, Chuck. As always, his phone let out an offensive sound as it rang – Blair was calling.

"Humphrey!" Blair exclaimed a little too happily when he answered the phone.

"Seriously, Blair. My stomach can't take any more pizzas." He replied exasperatedly as he fiddled with the keys of his laptop.

"But you love pizza! And we're already in Brooklyn. I promised Louis you'll come! He's really impressed with your knowledge of the arts and classics and is so very interested in your opinions. COME OOOOOOOOOOOON." He chuckled upon hearing her but his stomach turned as he heard Louis' laughter in the background.

"I'm not sure…"

"Please Cabbage Patch?" Dan could hear the teasing smile in her voice. He also felt that she genuinely wanted him to be there. That's all it took for him to give in.

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Even though he didn't want to admit it, Dan actually enjoyed conversing with the prince. He could see he really cared about Blair, and that's what's important for him. So when Blair excused herself to the powder room, he was brave enough to ask Louis about Blair.

"You guys seem to be doing really good…" he said with a smile.

"Yes. Blair has been absolutely wonderful. Any man would be lucky to have her." Louis replied. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Of course. What is it? Hopefully I could help." Dan offered, slightly curious as to what the prince could actually need from him.

"I know you and Blair are really good friends. I was wondering… I mean. I've only known her for a while but it feels like an eternity. I was hoping that as her friend, you could give me an advice." He played with his food and took a big gulp from his drink, "You see, I would like to ask for Blair's hand in marriage." He said, apparently nervous and seriously interested in Dan's opinion.

"WHAT?" Dan asked in shock, not able to hold off his emotions. Just the same, both men noticed Blair standing nearby, obviously within earshot. She was staring at them in shock as she walked towards their table.

"What?..." She repeated Dan's reaction. Louis rose up from his seat and met Blair, wearing a big smile. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. And then he was on one knee, presenting a beautiful ring to Blair. Dan watched silently, debating whether or not he should just take off and lock himself up in Brooklyn. He wanted Blair to be happy, but at that moment, he couldn't see himself standing by as the realization of Blair's fairytale unfolded before his very eyes. But he did. He stayed.

Louis looked into her eyes and his gaze seemed so sincere. "Blair. I know we haven't been together for a long time. From the moment I saw you in Paris, gazing at my favorite painting, I already had a feeling that it could be you... That you could be that one person that I could spend the rest of my life with. When you left Paris, I thought I could just move on, but I couldn't. So I followed you to New York. Because… I want you, Blair. I want you to become my wife and leave with me to Paris. Blair, will you give me the honor of marrying me?"

Blair could not believe what she heard. A real prince was asking for her hand in marriage – it was the beginning of the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. It was all coming true for her. The only thing missing was her answer. She was about to say yes to the prince when she noticed Dan watching. He was smiling at her but his eyes betrayed him. He was silently pleading to her. For what, Blair wasn't so sure. Just as she looked back at the prince, she saw Dan bow his head a little.

With that, she turned around and left without looking back, leaving the prince and the pauper behind her.


	4. Chapter 4 Silence and Revelations

**A/N: So I decided to just finish this one. Maybe I'll make other DAIR centric fics when I have time! Not losing hope for Dair despite all the things going on :) So. Thanks for the reviews and the subscriptions, guys. Hope you like this one :)**

It has been an unspoken agreement that they do not talk. No one tried to contact the other, both avoided places the other person would go to and both avoided Gossip Girl. They just stopped talking. After Blair left the prince kneeling down with an engagement ring in hand, and avoided Dan when he ran after her, both agreed - without having the need to actually talk - that they need to think about what happened. It was Blair who broke the silence, much to Dan's surprise. He found her sitting outside the loft, staring into the wall just across her.

"Well, look who decided to grace Brooklyn with her presence." He intended it to sound a little bitter; he wanted to make her think that he felt anything other than happiness by seeing her. But his voice sounded too happy for that. He was happy. He wanted to be the first one to break their mutual silence. That's not to say he's not happy seeing her sitting outside his door, with all the Brooklyn dirt under her butt. She looked up at him, smirking.

"I missed you too, Humphrey." She said as she stood up, not even bothering to brush off the dust. He absentmindedly fumbled with his keys, suddenly not knowing what to say to her. She noticed and took the keys from him, opened the door to the loft, and let herself in, knowing very well that Humphrey, as always, will follow her lead. She sat on his couch and watched as he did the same. They're dancing without music... one taking the lead, the other following.

"Blair..." He wanted to know where they're at. He wanted to know why despite all her efforts to stay with the prince and keep their friendship - defending their friendship to Serena and telling Chuck off - she still ran away. He wanted to know why she locked eyes with him while the prince was practically dying to hear her answer. He wanted to know why she's here, even when said she was happy with the prince. As if she knew all about the questions running through his head, she looked at him gently and began to speak.

"The prince is gone. He left after I turned down his proposal. He said he really liked me but knew that there might be, or there is, someone else. I denied that of course, because really, how could there be someone else? But he... he said that he saw how you looked at me... and how I looked at you. How I looked _with_ you. How we laughed at our little jokes, how animated we were when we debate about art, how every little insult we threw each other sounded like words of endearment." She smiled at the thought, at how true it actually is. He reached for hand, and unlike the first time, she didn't pull away.

"He said he was just waiting for me to cut our little royal fling off. He felt that maybe, just maybe... I haven't been honest with him." She continued "Or that I actually haven't been honest with myself. He said _'You're just running away from reality because you found this fairytale more romantic. You might not think so, but I believe you're in love with someone else. You just refuse to acknowledge it.'_ " She took a deep and looked at Dan with teary eyes.

"Are you?" Dan searched her eyes. He couldn't help but sound hopeful. She was aware he felt something when they kissed. But the fact that she denied it meant anything every single time it was brought up made him lose hope and just settle for friendship. She nodded as her tears started to fall and he reached for her face.

"I... I'm just scared, you know? I hated you before!" She blurted out. He couldn't help but let out a little laugh, which sounded pretty much like a snort. "Did you just snort?" Blair looked at him with raised eyebrow. Dan gave her an innocent look. "Me? No. Of course not! Don't mind me."

She stood up and paced. He watched her, amused, as her hands flailed while she talked. "That's the problem, Humphrey! I've been minding you for a long time! Before, I just wanted to stay away from you. But after that kiss, I wanted to know where your head is at. I guess I didn't realize it then... but I just wanted to be around you." Finally, she settled herself on the kitchen stool and playing with Dan's take out menu, her back facing him. He walked towards her, turned the stool around so she's facing him.

"But you avoided me, went after Chuck and made it clear that it was about him. You also said the kiss meant nothing to you. Then there's no more Chuck, and then the prince. I... I just wanted you to be happy, Blair. Even if it's not with me." He tucked her hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek. "So, you hated me _before_... so... what does that mean now?"

"That I don't hate you anymore?" Blair said almost sarcastically but it still sounded soft. He smiled - he expected sarcasm from her. If he was going to be honest with himself, he missed that sarcasm.

"I love you too, Blair." Blair raised her eyebrow and slapped him hard on the chest. He caught her hands and tickled her. "You're. so. full. of. yourself, Humphrey!" She shouted between giggles. He stopped tickling and hugged her to his chest, she relaxed almost immediately and wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you, Dan." They stayed that way for a while, and then all is well.


End file.
